Love is Painful
by aussie girl1990
Summary: Yes love can be very painful and Zuko is about to find out. He wanted one night without her on his mind teasing him like she did and whats this? Katara thinks Zukos gay?. Zuko
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

So this is love,

Sweaty palms: she'd move closer to him when it was cold trying to catch a little bit of warmth from his body and suddenly his palms had caught fire, making her jump and then laugh, he wasn't sure if she was laughing at him or something else either way he didn't like it.

Hot flashes: She'd be tending to the fire, ignoring him, and when she'd bend over the dress would stretch across her butt and without warning his whole being would burst into flames. The only great thing about that was when the Avatar and boomerang boy would jump up looking like cats slashed with water, confused and scared.

Racing heart beat: At times she would sit next to him and speak about silly girl things, he wasn't sure as to why he would stay seated beside her when she did that but he was beginning to think it was witchcraft. She'd smile at him, her eyes glazed over with happiness and her mouth curved into a smile that would make his heart beat so hard he thought it would burst any second now.

Dreams: For many weeks now he had dreaded sleep knowing that she would be haunting him even there in his subconscious mind, now he knew it had top be magic. It was almost like where ever he looked she was there, smiling, laughing or bending over (he didn't mind that too much), he wanted one night without her on his mind teasing him like she did.

Finally he had had enough and went to his Uncle to see what was wrong with him.

Zuko paced the floor while his uncle slipped his tea calmly listening to his impatient nephew rave on and on about the young water tribe girl, Katara.

Zuko stopped and looked over at his uncle, "What's wrong with me Uncle?" his eyes narrowed, "I bet the waterbender used magic, she used magic didn't she uncle? I'm sure it's magic."

Uncle Iroh not even bothering to look up answered his nephew, "Yes it is some form of magic Zuko." He ignored the boys 'I knew it' ad continued, "It's a little bit of magic called _love_." Iroh heard a crash and looked up to see his nephew on the ground having fainted. Iroh nodded his head, "Yes Zuko love can be painful."

Jessica


	2. Pick Up lines

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the last Airbender.

Fixing the drift

Katara walked through the woods thinking of a certain handsome Prince with a facial scar. In truth she didn't really care much about the scar, in fact it was one of the things that made her like him. He had walked through most of his life bearing that mark his own father had inflicted upon him and Katara couldn't help but admire the way Zuko had taken it in his stride.

The other thing that had made her have feeling for the firebending Prince was how he never gave up, even if it was her best friend he was tracking, and never backed down. She loved the heat that came off of his body and the way he smiled, which was rarely but he was still so beautiful when he did, it made her want to smile along with him.

She'd find reasons to get near him like once when she was asked to get the firewood she wet them a little so it wouldn't last as long and then she'd get to move in closer to him.

Katara sighed and looked up at the graying sky 'I've dropped so many hints, what's wrong. Is it me?" she thought but then dismissed that thought with a laugh. "Of course it's not me," she frowned "Maybe he doesn't like girls." Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped, "That must be it, Zuko is gay."

Zuko was pacing the room (again) his uncle was in thinking of way he could get Katara to like him, maybe even love him.

He had heard of something called pick up lines, 'lines that flattered the female in any and every way' that's what his uncle had told him, now he just had to think of one that would make her swoon like a fangirl.

He picked up a pen and took out a piece of paper and started to write some down, he had no idea what girls liked to hear but if these don't work he'd be at worlds end with no way out.

When he had finished writing down 'pick-up lines he could try out on Katara the sky was completely black with the only light coming from the fire outside where they had set up their camp, and the small flickering light from the candle next to his paper.

Tomorrow he would try those lines out and hopefully she'll fall like a banker when all his moneys gone. Zuko left the small room and headed out to the others.


	3. Space pants

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The last Airbender.

Using the pick-up lines

Ok it was official he, Prince Zuko, was a whimpering coward. He had been waiting to get her alone all night and when he did he almost wished he didn't, almost being the key word.

_Flashback_

_He walked out of the dimming room and went to join the Avatar and his friends, he had planned on trying to pick up Katara that night using a flattering pick-up line and he could only hope it went well._

_His uncle had started watching the both of them as though any second now he would have to restrain Zuko from jumping on the water tribe girl. Zuko had waited until they were alone, thanks to his uncle who had taken them on a small hike to leave the two of them alone, and then he used a line._

_Zuko cleared his throat and looked at the young woman sitting next to him, "Ah, Katara?" she looked up into his eyes with her blue water-pool eyes and he suddenly forgot what he was going to say. "Er, um, what I was going to say…"_

_He couldn't go through with it, she rose an eyebrow and sat up straight, "What is it Zuko?"_

_He couldn't stand her eyes because as beautiful as they were they continued to throw him off of his game. "I have something to tell you and I thought that you should know before uncle tells the others. Its not that I don't trust him but sometimes he lets things slip." He was starting to babble._

_Katara's face paled and she had a feeling she knew what he was going to say, "It's ok Zuko, I know." She put a hand on his upper thigh and he swallowed, '_if she could put her hand higher_…' he thought but dismissed it…fast._

_He turned back to her, "You know?" she nodded her head and started to stroke his thigh subconsciously, not knowing the affect it had on him. "How long have you known?" he asked biting back a moan._

"_Since this afternoon, I understand you may be a little scared but it's ok its fine with me that your gay." The last thing he heard was Katara's voice calling out for help._

_End of flashback_

The touching wasn't bad, he liked/loved that, but he couldn't understand why she thought he was gay he had no idea that he came across like that.

He looked down at himself in the morning light, was it the hair? He knew he liked it clean but is it too clean? Is it the way he speaks and moves? He is a Prince its how they walk and talk.

His eyes widened and he looked at his hands 'it's my nails and it's because I don't bite them. Of course she grew up with peasants so they must've bitten their nails; it must be manly where she comes from.'

He lifted his hand to his mouth ready to bite them off and….he just couldn't do it, doesn't anyone know how hard it was to grow nails like this?

He sighed and groped around in his pocket looking for the piece off paper with the lines on it. He was re-reading them hoping next time he wouldn't be caught off guard by her very beautiful and painful touch.

He jumped when he heard a voice coming towards him, "Hey fireboy, what are you reading?" he wasn't sure how she had gotten so close to him without him knowing but he didn't want her to see what was written on the paper, so he shoved it in his pants.

"Nothing," he told her. "What are you doing up so early?"

She shrugged "I always get up this early; it's just that you've never been up. I have to get breakfast ready and wash the clothes." She answered. "Want to come and help me?" she asked.

"_We'd be alone and no one would be there to see me make an idiot of myself like a love sick fool"_. "Okay." He said and followed her towards the lake.

They got down on their knees and each grabbed a piece of clothing and started to clean. '_Now or never'_ he thought and he cleared his throat and looked at Katara.

He tried so hard to make himself look so strong but his voice was like a mouse that just wanted to run away and when the words came out he just wanted the earth to give way. "Uh, say Katara are you wearing space pants because your ass is out of this world."

She looked at him her water blue eyes wide and shocked, when she opened her mouth he would have rather had her reject him then her that.

Written by Jessica


	4. P R I N C E

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The last Airbender.

P R I N C E

Prince Zuko hated her laugh at that very moment; no matter how sweet or beautiful it sounded to him he couldn't stand the embarrassment of him trying so hard only to have her laugh in his face.

"Oh Zuko," she said between gasps of laughter, "That is funny." His face was starting to turn pink so he looked down at the clothes and grabbed a piece and started to wash it.

She was still giggling as he finished washing his half of the clothes and stood up quickly muttering something about needed to go to the bathroom and had to stop himself from running. He didn't look back but if he did h would have her eyes following his back and her face bright red but not from laughing.

Right after he had walked away from the river and deep into the trees he stood facing a thick, old tree and started banging his head into it, trying to wake himself up and founding himself hoping that he didn't say what he had just said.

'_Oh God, why did I say that? why? I shouldn't have said it but noooo I had to say something. Damn her and her pretty eyes and soft skin." _He stopped banging his head against the tree and moved his hand up to his head and felt the beginning of a bad bump and sighed. _'I might as well go back to camp.'_

In just a few minutes he found himself back in the middle of their camp and noticed that the Avatar and the 'other one' was just waking up, he looked over at the fire and saw her standing over it cooking eggs for everyone. He would have walked over to her but he didn't have a plan just yet.

He turned to go and wake his Uncle, the old man should have been up by now, but when he turned he felt someone grab his sleeve and he turned back around ready to give that person a rude comment, something he had been working on. But when he turned around instead of looking at a sarcastic peasant or the Avatar he was staring right into her water blue eyes and at first he was shocked but than he knew that he had to get out of there. He had nothing he could say to her and he didn't want to come across a bumbling baboon like her brother.

Nothing seemed better than kissing her he could almost feel her lips on his and her hands in his hair as she'd pull him closer, but that would have to wait until he found away to convince her he's not gay. The only thing that would make this even worse would be if she tried to set him up with Sokka, Zuko shuddered at that thought. He didn't think that the guy was gay but he was dirty and odd.

"Come help me with making breakfast?" she asked and he was ready to turn her down but her eyes shined with hope and he couldn't help but let her grab his hand and drag him (willingly) over to where she was cooking.

He watched her graceful hands at work, flipping the eggs over and cracking some more but he had no idea why he was there. Maybe since she thought he was gay that he would be able to tell her if she was doing it wrong? Or maybe she wanted some new ideas?

He was lost in his own thoughts as he watched her and didn't notice that she was watching him until she cleared her throat and smiled. He wanted to die but he wasn't sure from what, the embarrassment (again) or her.

She smiled and cocked her head, "Is there something on my face Zuko?"

'_Yes'_ he thought _'beauty'_

"No" he said dryly turning away from her, he noticed that the fire was dying and he made a little fire ball on his pointer finger and threw it towards the dying flames which rekindled in seconds.

He didn't look at but could tell she was a little surprised at his kindness and the air around them became a little tense, he felt he should leave so he got up. "I should wake Uncle."

Elegantly he walked towards his Uncle little room all the time hating himself that he left her sitting there cooking like a maid too everyone, one of the things he liked about her was how she put everyone else around her before herself, even him.

He smiled into thin air right outside his Uncles room, _'My next line will get her for sure.'_ he rubbed his head and now there was a huge egg like bump, he sighed _'Uncle was right, love is painful.'_ And he knocked on the door.

Written by Jessica.


	5. Nails and kissing

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Chapter 5:

He cleared his throat as he leaned over the paper with the lines written on it, he was going to choose which one to use next. He hadn't had much luck in trying to get to know what he was trying to say, he wanted to just go up to her and kiss her and tell her he wasn't gay but then she'd might slap him and her brother and the Avatar would more then likely kill him.

Zuko sighed and ran a hand through his black hair messing it up more then it already was, '_why is this so hard! I'm a Prince I should tell her that I like her and she should fall into my arms._' Zuko wasn't one to believe in fairytales but right now he would rather be a Prince in one of those cheesy stories be himself right now.

After he read the lines again he chooses his next one and put the paper away in case this try didn't work.

Zuko was out getting some firewood for that night's camp when Katara had bumped into him on her way back from taking a bath. Zuko looked her over before turning away in hope she didn't see his blush. Katara still had little droplets of water running down her back, her breast, her face and her legs. When Zuko turned back to look at her he couldn't help but watch the drops of water with envy as it ran down her perfectly toned mocha body leaving a wet trail behind it. Zuko swallowed and looked around for anyone else in case he made a fool of himself, which he had done enough times when it came to her. She had her back to him and was using her waterbending skills to cut the fruit on the high branches, they would fall right in the basket she had with her that held her dry clothes.

Zuko took a deep breath and walked up to the fruit tree, leaning casually against it he looked at her and whispered, "Hey Katara if I was your hammer would you nail me?" it was very difficult to say that, to Zuko it was demeaning and embarrassing but he wanted her to know he wasn't gay so he had to say something like that right?

Katara who hadn't really heard was still hacking off fruit for that flying monkey lemur thing and the Bison and mumbled "Yes of course Zuko." His mouth dropped, "_she wasn't even listening to me._'. Katara stopped what she was doing and turned to Zuko. "I'm sorry I didn't hear all, you wanted me to nail something?" Zuko had to force himself to stand where he was otherwise he would have ran waving his arms above his head and screaming like a girl…or Sokka.

He opened his mouth to repeat what he had just said but he wasn't able to with her innocent water blue looking at him like she was. His casual appearance had suddenly disappeared and now he was standing straight and almost stiff like as he mentally ran through his list of lines:

_Does your watch have a second hand? I want to know how long it took for me to fall in love with you_.: Zuko mentally gagged 'too mushy'.

_Baby did you fart, 'cause you blow me away!_: 'What was I thinking when I wrote that down?'

_Hello, I'm a thief, and I'm here to steal your heart._: 'Hmm, I would but I don't have the mask anymore."

Zuko continued to run through the list until he found one he liked.

"I said 'What would you do if I kissed you right now?'" she opened her mouth but she didn't have time to reply because Zuko finally got the guts and kissed her.

Written by Jessica, still have one more chapter to go.


	6. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Notes: Katara had Luna at the age of 24 and then had Apollo at the age of 26. The war and the aftermath lasted for 12 years after their kiss and right now Katara is 34 and Zuko is 36. I choose the names Luna, meaning the moon, and Apollo, the sun god.

Epilogue 20 years later:

Zuko and Katara were sitting together on their huge front porch. Katara read a water-bending scroll while Zuko watched the children play. At the moment their 10 year old daughter, Luna, was playing with her best friend Alphonse, the 11 year old son of Aang and Toph. Apollo played with Sokka and Suki's youngest child, seven-year-old Talon, who was showing strong signs of master water bending skills.

Zuko always thought Luna would be a water bender, because of her name, but when she started showing signs at just a year old of fire bending he couldn't have been happier. Then Apollo, named after the sun god, was born, and once more they got the name wrong, and instead became a fire bender like his mother.

Luna looked like her father, with her bright gold eyes and long black hair, but her skin was a little darker than his, and she had her mother's kindness.

Apollo looked like both of them, with his blue eyes and mocha skin. His brown hair was a little curly, and when pushed he could have one hell of a temper. But mostly he was like his mother and liked to heal.

Talon was just as bit as beautiful as her mother, with her straight brown hair and her father's blue eyes. She loved to fight and asked anyone she could about the war stories. She would get her Aunt Katara to show her new water-bending moves.

Alphonse was an air bender like his father, and had his mothers bossiness when it came to training with the others. Zuko had noticed that Luna always glared at Alphonse when he became too bossy, and he would stop. The boy was light on his feet like his father and stubborn like his mother. He also understood things that were beyond his years, but Zuko wasn't sure who he got that from.

Zuko could hear Alphonse telling Luna that he thinks his mother is going to pop any day now. Zuko smirked. Since Toph had gotten pregnant again she had been a little odd, and sometimes far more moody then she normally was; everyone put it down to hormones. Zuko leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, relaxing.

"One day Luna I'm going to marry you and we're going to have babies." Zuko's eyes opened wide in shock and jumped to his feet to get his daughter away from the mini air bender, but he was stopped by a wall of ice.

Katara was sitting on the chair beside him reading a new water scroll. Zuko turned to her in shock "Did you hear what he said?" he asked her in a hush almost scared voice.

She wasn't even looking at him when she spoke. "Yes Dear I did, and I don't think you want to go over there and pull Luna away from her best friend." She pulled the scroll down a little more.

Zuko stood up with his back straight and glared at her. "And why wouldn't I want to do that? He said he was going to _marry_ her and have _babies_, babies Katara!"

He saw a smile on her lips as she told him, "I did hear that, but I still think it's a bad thing to tell her that's why she can't play with her friend."

"Why not. All I want to do is lock my daughter in a tower to keep any and all guys from her" he grumbled.

She looked right into his eyes and said, "Because then you'll be the one to explain where babies come from, we both know she'll ask about it." Zuko face paled and he knew that there was no way he could say anything to her about that. He would rather die.

"Besides, I think they make a cute couple." Zuko almost fainted. Katara continued reading.

10 years later

Zuko looked at his daughter; she was just as beautiful as her mother had been in her wedding gown. The dress was long and flared out; the skirt part had pale red patterns of flames that looked like they were growing.

Her long black hair was done in a crown and her gold eyes glittered with love, happiness and excitement. Today Zuko would give his daughter away to the hands of an air bender who had always loved his daughter. This was a great relief, because there was no way Zuko would hand over his daughter to some guy she just met.

But Zuko was still just a little sad; Luna had always been his little girl, he'd read to her and played dolls with her and once he even went shopping with her…once and never again. To Zuko, there is was nothing to fear but shopping with a teenage girl for a dance. It had taken them six and a half hours, but she found the perfect dress and he had been so happy to finally be able to sit down that he almost cried.

He heard his name being called. It was time.

Zuko looked at her and for a second it was like she was a little girl again playing dress up with her mother clothes. A tear slid down his cheek and from a side glance Luna saw it and moved her hand to wipe it away.

"Be happy for me, Daddy." She whispered, a huge grin on her face. "Just like you and Mom, I found my true love."

He smiled. "Even after you're married, you're still my little girl, right?" he wasn't sure of the answer, but when she kissed him on the cheek he knew.

They were being called again. "It's time, Daddy. How do I look?" she twirled for him.

He smiled at her. "Just like your mother."

They started down the aisle; arm in arm, and at the front he saw Alphonse dressed in pale green marriage robes that Luna had chosen.

It felt like just seconds before they reached the stand where Uncle Iroh was standing ready to unite Luna and Alphonse. He hadn't changed much; he was still the fun and wise man he had always been but he was now very old. He told Zuko he wanted great-grandchildren from his daughter and Al soon. Zuko almost had a heart attack.

He gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead before turning to Alphonse and shaking his hand and going to sit in his chair.

Across from him were Aang and Toph with their children. Bagheera and her brother Rockwell were earth benders and just as good as their mother at the age of 10. Their younger sister Yuri, is air bender like her brother and father.

Zuko looked down from Katara and saw Sokka, Suki, and their 9 year old son Nolan, who, unlike his sister was not a bender, but was instead like his parents he liked to fight with his hands.

"Do you Luna Hala Angana take Alphonse Gayan Akasha as your lawfully wedded husband until death is upon you?"

"I do."

"Do you Alphonse Gayan Akasha take Luna Hala Angana as your lawfully wedded wife until death is upon you?"

"I do."

Zuko saw a tear slid from his daughters eye, _'great not even married 2 seconds and he's already making her cry…I'm going to have to speak to him.'_

"I've now been given the pleasure to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Akasha, you may now kiss your wife." Everyone around Zuko cheered and clapped as the new couple kissed.

With a side glance Zuko caught his son giving a wink to Talon. He sighed, '_Not again.'_

Katara place a hand on Zuko's arm, he looked at her "Let's get out of here dear, all this love is making me sick."

The End.

Notes:

Alphonse's middle name means, The Air and his last means Open Air/Space.

Luna's middle name means, Halo around the moon, and her last means, Fire; hot; destructive; unperishable.

Written by Jessica.

Beta'd by Silver05


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